Principal, Strategy & Planning

foodpanda is part of the Delivery Hero Group, the world’s pioneering local delivery platform, our mission is to deliver an amazing experience—fast, easy, and to your door. We operate in around 65 countries worldwide. Headquartered in Berlin, Germany. Delivery Hero has been listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since 2017 and is part of the MDAX stock market index.

This position serves as a strategic lead and Chief of Staff within CX & Service Operations, partnering with executive leadership to shape long-term strategy, set OKRs, and run core operational governance. The role drives complex cross-functional programs across departments like Product, Finance, and Vendor Ops, ensuring timely delivery and resolving critical operational blockers.

Key Responsibilities: 1. Strategy Development and Execution

a. Strategic Planning: Partner closely with the Senior Director and leadership team to shape the CX & Service Operations strategy, ensuring alignment with company priorities and financial targets.

b. Translation to Execution: Convert strategic priorities into clear roadmaps, initiatives, and OKRs across Service Operations.
c. Prioritization: Support trade-offs and decision making by bringing structure, data, and clear recommendations to leadership.

2. Chief of Staff and Governance

a. Operating Cadence: Own and run core governance forums, including MBRs, QBRs, leadership reviews, and All Hands.

b. OKR Management: Track progress against OKRs, ensuring clear ownership, visibility, and accountability across teams.

c. Executive Support: Act as a thought partner to the Senior Director, preparing materials, defining narratives, and ensuring alignment ahead of key decisions.

3. Cross-Functional Program Delivery

a. Project Leadership: Lead and drive highly complex, cross-functional initiatives across Product, Finance, Marketplace, Vendor Ops, and Support teams.

b. Execution Tracking: Ensure initiatives are delivered on time, with clear milestones, risks identified early, and mitigation plans in place.

c. Problem Solving: Act as the escalation point for key blockers, driving resolution across teams and senior stakeholders.

4. Performance Management and Insights

a. KPI Ownership: Track and analyse core operational metrics (CSAT, contact rate, cost per contact, cost to onboard, automation rate, etc.) to identify performance gaps and opportunities.

b. Insight Generation: Translate data into actionable insights and recommendations to improve both customer experience and cost efficiency.

c. Reporting: Deliver clear, concise updates to leadership on performance, risks, and progress against strategic priorities

• Strategy and Execution Experience: 5+ years in strategy, operations, consulting, or program management roles, with a strong track record of driving execution in complex environments.
• Structured Thinking: Strong ability to bring clarity and structure to ambiguous problems and translate strategy into action.
• Stakeholder Management: Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and work effectively across multiple functions and regions.
• Analytical Skills: Comfortable working with data, defining metrics, and using insights to drive decisions.
• Ownership Mindset: High level of accountability, with a bias for action and focus on outcomes.
• Communication: Clear and concise communicator, able to distill complex topics into simple narratives for leadership.
• Adaptability: Able to operate in a fast-paced environment with multiple competing priorities
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Operations, or a related field.